Authors note: This chapter has two parts. The first part starts out a storyline for Frankie and Will that we both love and that we hope you guys will love too. The other part deals with Gabriel and Seamus and you'll get to meet Gabriel's mother, Samantha, in a flashback.
Frankie struggled with her pile of magazines and carpet swatches. She didn't really have that much time, but she'd promised Luna she'd help with the decorating and after all that the Weasleys had done for her, this was the least she could do for them.
She set aside her books and knocked on the front door. There was no answer, but she could hear a ruckus from inside the house.
"Aunt Luna?" she asked opening the door. "Uncle Ron?"
"We're in here!" Luna called from the sitting room.
Frankie picked up the books and headed for the sitting room. She winced as she heard a loud squeal followed by high-pitched laughter. When she walked into the sitting room, she saw Luna holding a baby in her arms while two little boys who appeared to be around six or seven years old were throwing a ball around the room.
"I didn't think you got them until next month," Frankie said in amazement.
"Do you have any Bertie Botts?" one of the little boys asked yanking on the hem of Frankie's skirt.
"Um..." Frankie tried to hold onto her samples as well as her skirt at the same time. "I'm afraid I don't..."
"Why not?" the boy asked her folding his arms.
"She's a big stupidhead," the other boy said dismissively. "Stupidhead!"
"Joey!" Luna admonished. "It's not nice to call other people names."
"You're not the boss of me," the boy named Joey answered stubbornly.
"Yeah, you're not the boss of us!" the other boy chimed in. "I want to go back to the orphanage!"
"You really want to go back there?" Luna asked calmly. "Where you had to share a room and you got no sweets at all?"
"No," the boy admitted, scuffing his feet on the wood floor.
"Then why don't you calm down and if you're good, you can have some Bertie Botts later," Luna said mildly.
"Okay," he said sitting back down on the sofa.
Luna returned her attention to Frankie. "Thank you so much for stopping by."
"Seems like I came at a crazy time," Frankie set down the samples.
"They've just arrived since this morning," Luna said smiling down at the sleeping baby in her arms. "This is Caitlin. You've already met Joey and Zack. And---"
"Luna," Ron said coming into the room. "That little girl---she's hiding under the table and refuses to come out."
"Hannah," Luna said. "Her name is Hannah, Ronald."
"Hannah Banana," Joey snickered. "She's strange."
"Joey," Luna said a little more sternly.
Joey rolled his eyes.
"She is acting a bit odd, Luna," Ron said in a hushed tone so the boys couldn't hear. "I walked in the kitchen to make myself a sandwich and I heard someone whispering to themselves. I look under the table and she's crouched under it, whispering something over and over to herself."
Luna stood up and handed Caitlin over to Ron. "Let me see if she'll let me talk to her."
"Maybe this isn't such a good time," Frankie said quietly. "I could come back..."
"It'll be all right," Luna replied. "Come with me and we'll bring those into the kitchen. We've got more room in there."
Frankie nodded and followed Luna into the kitchen.
"Hannah?" Luna peeked under the table. "What are you doing under there sweetheart?"
Frankie set the books down and couldn't resist peering down to get a look as well. She saw a small, skinny young girl who looked to be a couple years older than Emma, wearing natty clothes and her brown hair in a messy pigtail. She'd wrapped her arms around the leg of the table.
"I promise Joey won't make fun of you," Luna said coaxingly. "Why don't you come out? I'd like you to meet someone."
Hannah shook her head.
"Its okay, Aunt Luna," Frankie said awkwardly.
Luna nodded and let the tablecloth drop. "How about we go into the office instead then?" she asked.
"NO!" Hannah screamed.
Luna looked alarmed and ducked back down. "Hannah, what is it?"
"Don't go," Hannah whispered.
"If you'd like us to stay, then why don't you come out of there and sit with us?" Frankie suggested.
Hannah again shook her head.
"We'll stay in here," Luna told the little girl. "And if you want to join us, you can."
"Is she all right?" Frankie asked.
Luna nodded. "She's not used to being around people she doesn't know and she likes to keep to herself."
"Okay," Frankie sat down at the table while Luna got them some pumpkin juice. "These are just some samples left over from when Will and I redecorated our place."
"Thank you so much for bringing them by," Luna said handing Frankie a glass. "We're going to let each of the children have their own room. I'm setting up Joey in Darla's old room. Zack's taking Josh and Jon's and the nursery is Maddie's old room."
"I really do think this is lovely of you both," Frankie said.
Luna smiled. "We had all this room and it would have been a shame to stand by and do nothing..."
"LUNA!" Ron called out desperately. "Help!"
Luna shook her head. "Ron's convinced Joey and Zack are Fred and George Part Deux. I'll be right back, Frankie."
"Sure," Frankie had almost forgotten about the little girl under the table until she saw a pair of brown eyes staring up at her. "Hi there," she smiled as welcomingly as she could.
Hannah looked uncertainly up at her before finally sitting down in Luna's vacated seat.
"Are you thirsty?" Frankie asked. "I'll get you some pumpkin juice if you like."
Hannah shook her head and pointed at the sample books.
"You want to look at these?" Frankie asked. "It's nothing fancy, just some carpet and wallpaper."
The little girl nodded and said something that sounded almost like "please".
"Well I'm sure you'll get to pick out something nice for the room you get to stay in," Frankie said encouragingly. "Maybe a nice pink or light blue? What's your favourite colour?"
Hannah turned a couple of pages and finally pointed at a light purple colour.
"Purple!" Frankie said. "That's one of my favourite colours as well."
Hannah gave a slight smile, but still didn't say anything.
"Maybe a light purple colour on the walls would look nice," Frankie said. "What do you think?"
Hannah pointed at Frankie's glass of juice.
"Do you want some juice now?" Frankie asked, wishing the little girl would talk.
Hannah nodded and looked down at her lap.
"I'll get you some then," Frankie patted Hannah's shoulder but didn't notice the little girl flinch as if in pain when she raised her hand.
Hannah turned her attention back to the book and started thumbing through the pages. She turned back to the purple wallpaper and touched it, liking the way it felt under her fingers. "Pretty," she whispered.
"What?" Frankie asked. "Did you say something?"
"My mummy liked purple," Hannah said softly.
"That must be where you got it from," Frankie smiled at her.
Hannah stared down at the purple wallpaper with a wistful expression on her face. She didn't even look up when Frankie set the glass of juice down in front of her.
"Are you okay?" Frankie asked uncertainly when the little girl didn't even move.
"I want Mummy," she said softly.
"Where is she at?" Frankie asked, not knowing if this girl was orphaned or taken away from irresponsible parents.
"Daddy took her away," Hannah replied, her lower lip trembling. "Made her go away."
"You mean she died?" Frankie asked in horror. "I'm so sorry Hannah."
Luna chose that moment come back into the room and she stopped when she saw Hannah sitting down. "How did you---"
Hannah let out a yelp and ducked back under the table. In her haste to hide herself, she jostled the table leg and the glass of juice Frankie had gotten for her fell and shattered on the floor.
Hannah started to cry and Frankie peered under the table to see the little girl shaking.
"Its okay, Hannah," Frankie tried to tell the little girl. "It was just an accident. Luna's going to clean that up..."
"I didn't mean to do it," Hannah sobbed.
"It's okay," Frankie reassured her. "It was an accident. It happens to me all the time. No problem."
Luna waved her wand and repaired the broken glass then kneeled down. "Hannah its okay- no harm done."
"I didn't mean to do it," she sobbed hugging the table leg.
"Sweetheart," Luna tucked the girl's long hair behind her ear. "I know you didn't mean it. I'm not angry, I promise."
"Promise?" she asked hopefully.
"I promise," Luna hugged Hannah's tiny frame.
Hannah wrapped her little arms around Luna's neck and sobbed into her shoulder. Gingerly, Luna stood up with Hannah in her arms, patting her back soothingly. "It's okay, sweetheart."
Frankie's heart went out to the little girl. "Maybe I should go..." she said again. "I can come when things are a little calmer--"
"I'm sorry," Luna said. "I appreciate you bringing those books by, Frankie. I'll take a look at them with the kids and see what we come up with, okay?"
"Sure," Frankie nodded, partly relieved to be leaving. "I'll see you soon then."
"Right," Luna said still patting Hannah's back. The little girl flinched. "What is it, sweetheart?"
Hannah let out a small whimper. "Hurts," she whispered, her brown eyes meeting Frankie's.
"Your back?" Luna asked. She set the little girl down on the floor. "Do you have a boo-boo?"
Hannah didn't answer, only stared at the floor.
"Can I see?" Luna asked.
Frankie stared with her eyes wide as Luna gently lifted the little girl's shirt. Her back had long red welts across it, some of them scabbed over. There was also some bruising along her side. She slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her cry.
"Who...who did this to you, Hannah?" Luna asked gently. "Can you tell me, sweetheart?"
Hannah sniffled and shook her head.
"Did your daddy do this?" Luna asked. "You can tell me, sweetheart. He's not going to be able to hurt you again..."
"Daddy does it when I break things," Hannah confessed in a whisper.
Frankie felt tears welling up in her eyes as she watched the little girl.
"Oh, sweetheart," Luna said reaching for the little girl's hand. "Your daddy shouldn't have done that. That was wrong of him to do that to you."
"It was?" Hannah asked. "He said I asked for it."
Frankie shook her head. She couldn't imagine anyone treating a young child that way. Hannah couldn't be any more than four years old.
"It was," Luna said nodding. "And I can promise you that nothing like that will ever happen here, Hannah. Never."
Hannah nodded silently and sat back down in the chair as Luna went to get some salve.
Frankie was at a complete loss as to what to say. She wondered if perhaps she should just go like she originally planned, but she couldn't make herself leave this little girl alone.
"Hannah?" she asked the little girl. "You want to know something?"
Hannah nodded.
"I think you're a brave little girl," Frankie said smiling at her.
"You do?" Hannah asked quietly.
Frankie nodded. "Very, very brave. I bet your Mummy would be so proud of you."
Hannah's brown eyes filled with tears at Frankie's words.
"You miss her, don't you?" Frankie asked.
"A lot," Hannah replied in a whisper.
"Do you want to talk about her?" Frankie suggested.
Hannah shook her head.
"We weren't introduced properly before," Frankie said taking a seat. "My name's Frankie Barron. My mother is really good friends with Luna. She asked me to stop by to help decorate your room."
"Do I really get my own room?" Hannah seemed to brighten just the tiniest bit.
"Your very own room," Frankie said nodding. "It's not fun to share a room. Believe me, I know. I used to share one with my older sister, Allie. But, we moved into a bigger house and we all got to have our own room. I was so happy..."
"I never got my own room either," Hannah said.
"Do you have brothers or sisters?" Frankie asked.
She shook her head.
Luna came back into the room. "I had to mix up a new batch."
"I can stay and help you if you'd like," Frankie offered, surprising herself.
"You will?" Hannah asked in a small voice.
"If you'd like me to stay," Frankie said.
Hannah looked thoughtfully at Frankie and nodded.
Luna smiled. "How about we go upstairs to your room? Would you like that? You didn't really get a chance to see it before..."
"What room does Hannah get?" Frankie set her bag on the counter and followed them out.
"Drew's old room," Luna said holding the little girl's hand as they went upstairs. She looked down at Hannah. "Drew's one of my daughters. She has a twin sister named Darla. My youngest little girl is named Maddie. And I have three sons---Josh, Jon and RJ."
"Are they all grown up?" Hannah asked.
Luna nodded. "Yes, they are."
"Maddie just got married," Frankie said. "She's my best friend."
"And someday soon, you'll get to meet my grandchildren, Hannah. My son Jon has two little girls named Caroline and Emma; they're both near your age. Josh has triplets---two little boys named Aidan and Noah and a little girl named Casey."
"Oh," Hannah said. "Do you think they'll like me?"
Luna smiled. "They're going to love you."
Hannah smiled genuinely for the first time.
"Emma loves the colour purple too," Frankie said as she followed Luna and Hannah down the corridor toward Drew's old bedroom. "And she adores flowers."
Hannah's eyes were wide as they went in. "I get to sleep in here?"
Frankie looked around to see a few dolls on the dresser and a small desk that held crayons, pencils and sketch paper. A few fairy tale books were on the bookshelf and a small twin bed was decorated with a light purple duvet.
"Hey look at that," Frankie stepped towards the bed. "It's already your favourite colour."
Hannah nodded and looked around the room in awe.
"Why don't you sit up there," Luna said. "I'll put this on your back, okay? It'll make it heal faster and not hurt."
Hannah looked uncertainly at Luna.
"What's wrong?" Luna asked gently.
"I'll hold your hand the whole time if you'd like," Frankie offered.
Hannah nodded.
Frankie sat down on the bed beside Hannah and held the little girl's hand.
Luna tried to be as gentle as possible while applying the salve. She had to keep her anger in check at the young girl's father for doing such a heinous thing.
"Did those dolls belong to your little girl?" Hannah asked Luna.
"Yes they did," Luna replied. "And now they're yours to play with."
"Really?" Hannah asked.
"They've been waiting for another little girl to play with them," Frankie said. "I bet I can find some of my old dolls at Mum and Dad's place if I searched the attic."
"That would be really nice, wouldn't it, Hannah?" Luna asked.
Hannah nodded shyly.
"And we're going to take the kids to RJ's first match in a few days," Luna told Frankie. "Joey and Zack can't wait to meet him."
"Right," Frankie nodded. "I set aside a whole block of seats and some of the guys promised to come out and meet the kids once the match is over."
"They'll be over the moon," Luna said smiling at Frankie. "Thank you for doing that."
"Anytime," Frankie replied. "Do you like Quidditch, Hannah?"
"I don't know," she said.
"You're welcome to join us, of course." Luna told her. "I think you might enjoy it sweetheart. It's a very fun sport."
"Will you be there?" Hannah asked Frankie.
"I work for the team." Frankie told her. "So I'll be around, yes."
"You remind me of my Mummy," Hannah said softly.
"I do?" Frankie was surprised at the little girl's statement.
Hannah nodded. "You're... nice."
"Thank you," Frankie smiled at her. "I think you're very nice too Hannah."
Hannah smiled back.
"There we are," Luna said. "All done. Does it feel better?"
"A little," Hannah replied.
"It might take a few minutes to feel better," Luna said. "And we'll put more on before you go to sleep tonight, okay?"
"Okay," Hannah said her eyes still downcast.
"Do you want to help me with Caitlin?" Luna asked. "Ronald is probably being held hostage by Joey and Zack as we speak..."
Hannah shook her head. "I want to be by myself."
"Oh," Luna said not wanting to push Hannah. "Okay...we'll just be in the sitting room or in the kitchen if you need us, okay?"
The young girl picked up one of the dolls and hugged it to her.
"Bye Hannah," Frankie said. "I really liked meeting you."
Hannah nodded and then turned away.
Frankie and Luna left, closing the door softly behind them. "What a poor little thing," Frankie said sympathetically. "What sort of person could do that to a child?"
Luna shook her head. "Her caseworker never mentioned that she was the victim of child abuse. Her father was arrested for her mother's murder...."
"That's horrible," Frankie said quietly.
"My heart went out to her the first time I saw her," Luna said. "She looked so lost..."
"She's definitely got more than a few ghosts haunting her," Frankie replied, picking up her bag. "She's very sweet though."
"She certainly warmed up to you," Luna said. "How did you get her to come out from under the table?"
"I don't know," Frankie said. "We just sort of started talking and she came out."
"Did she like anything in the books?" Luna asked.
"Apparently she likes light purple," Frankie told her.
Luna smiled. "That's a pretty colour."
"She mentioned that her mother liked it," Frankie said.
"I'll see if she'll look through the books with me again tonight," Luna said. "Thank you again for helping out today, Frankie."
"You're very welcome," Frankie smiled at her. "Oh Maddie rang me earlier today. She and Ethan are having a blast."
Luna smiled. "She called us last night to thank us for taking care of room service for them. Ronald wanted a word-by-word description of the food."
"LUNA!" Ron called out from the sitting room.
Luna and Frankie both hurried into the room and nearly collapsed in laughter when they saw Ron tied to the seat by a jumping rope. Caitlin was cooing happily in her bouncy seat and Joey and Zack were nowhere to be found.
"Ronald---how did---" Luna said trying to stifle her laughter.
"Those two just tied me up!" Ron struggled.
Frankie and Luna both untied the rope and Ron's face was nearly as red as his hair.
"Where are they now?" Luna asked.
"They ran out back," Ron said. "Merlin knows what they're up to out there."
"Too bad you can't do wandless magic like Uncle Harry," Frankie said. "He'd never have let this happen..."
"Yeah, yeah rub it in," Ron grumbled. "I'm going to make myself a sandwich."
"I'm sure once they acclimate to their new surroundings everything will be fine," Luna told her husband. "Joey and Zack are probably acting out because they're feeling a little unsure about being in a new place..."
"I guess," Ron replied. "This little one is too cute for words though." he grinned at Caitlin.
"She is adorable," Frankie said smiling at the baby who was still cooing up at Ron.
"And she likes you a lot Ronald," Luna lifted the infant from the seat.
"Is everything okay with Hannah?" Ron asked.
"Not really," Luna said as Zack and Joey ran back into the room. "I'll tell you later."
"Mr. Weasel, can we have something to eat?" Joey asked.
"I already told you two," he said. "I want you to call me Ron. And yes, if you're hungry I'll make you both a sandwich."
"Can we have turkey and cheese?" Zack asked in a sweet voice. "Please?"
Ron smiled. "I guess since you asked nicely, I could manage that."
Joey and Zack exchanged a look and followed Ron into the kitchen.
"That's not going to be good," Frankie said with a laugh to Luna.
"Probably not," Luna agreed. "I'd better go in there and supervise."
Frankie said a quick goodbye to Luna before heading out of the house. She stumbled a bit on the sidewalk and turned to see Hannah looking at her through her bedroom window.
She waved to the child and smiled when Hannah waved back tentatively.
Frankie returned to her office, but for some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about Hannah.
She was almost finished for the day and was making the final arrangements for the season's first match when her husband appeared in the doorway. "Hey gorgeous," he smiled at her.
"Hi," she said smiling at him. "What brings you by?"
"Thought I'd surprise you," Will gave her a kiss.
"I love those kinds of surprises," Frankie said. "I'm nearly finished here. I just have to go over these press releases."
"Did you want to go out for dinner?" Will asked, sitting down in front of her desk. "I thought Italian sounded good tonight."
"That sounds great, but before we do, do you think we could stop by the shops?" Frankie asked.
"Sure," Will replied. "Why?"
"I wanted to pick up some things for that project I'm working on for Luna," Frankie said thoughtfully. "Do you remember that place Claire went to buy those things for Mia's room?"
"I don't remember the name but I'm sure Claire would," Will replied.
"I think it was M & S," Frankie said. "We can start there. I can also pick up some outfits..."
"You have enough clothes, Frankie," Will pointed out.
"They're not for me," Frankie said defensively.
"Ookay..." Will was confused.
"I can buy for other people, you know," Frankie said glaring at him.
"Frankie..." Will leaned forward. "Want to tell me what you're going on about?"
Frankie sighed. "Well, you know I went to see Aunt Luna today, right?"
"Right..." Will replied.
"Apparently, they were able to take some of the children a bit earlier than they expected," Frankie continued. "They have two boys who are going to turn Uncle Ron grey. A cute little baby named Caitlin and..."
Frankie's voice trailed off as she thought of Hannah.
"And?" Will prompted curiously.
"...they...they have another little girl named Hannah. Oh Will, you wouldn't believe what she's been through," Frankie said quietly. She told him about how the little girl had cowered under the table and how they'd discovered the bruises and welts on her back. "How could someone do that to their own child?"
"That's horrible," Will shook his head. "What a sick bastard."
Frankie nodded. "She was so happy to have her own room, Will. You should have seen the look on her face. I just wanted to give her a big hug and tell her everything was going to be okay."
"That really makes me sick, you know?" Will said. "I think of something like that happening to Mia or Caroline and I just want to kill anyone who could be like that."
"Me too," Frankie said walking around her desk and sitting down in her husband's lap. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"She really got to you didn't she?" Will asked softly.
Frankie nodded. "I just want to do something nice for her, Will. She was wearing an old t-shirt and jeans. I want to buy her a few new things..."
"I think that's really nice of you," Will smiled at her. "Come on then."
"Thanks, Will," Frankie said getting to her feet.
"Did you bring all those samples that were sitting in the office at home?" Will asked as they left Puddlemere's offices.
Frankie nodded. "Hannah liked the light purple samples."
Will smiled. "You took to her didn't you?"
Frankie smiled back at him. "I couldn't help it. She...she told me I reminded her of her mother because I was nice."
Will nudged her. "She does sound really sweet."
"And I think Em and Caroline will love her," Frankie said.
"We'll have to maybe bring them around- Mia would love making a new friend too," Will thought of his niece.
Frankie smiled. "When we drop off these things, I'll ask Luna when would be a good time for that."
"This is good of you Frankie," Will decided not to mention that he thought her maternal instinct was finally kicking in lest she freak out. "What about the other kids? Maybe we can find some toys for them too."
"I think that'd be lovely," Frankie said smiling at her husband. "We wouldn't want them to feel left out."
"Right," Will gave her a kiss.
Frankie couldn't wait to get to the shops. Thought she didn't know Hannah very well, she hoped that she'd pick out things that the little girl would like.
*** *** ***
"Lavender!" Seamus called. "You know we're leaving in one hour!"
"Yes I know," Lavender rolled her eyes at Gabriel. "He does this every time we travel. Acts like I don't know how to pack."
"He told me he thinks you do it just to drive him crazy," Gabriel said with a grin at his stepmother.
"Well... maybe I do." Lavender laughed.
"He likes to be on time," Gabriel said. "And he certainly likes things to go a certain way..."
"He's always been like that." Lavender set her empty teacup in the sink.
"I've always been that way too," Gabriel admitted. "Now I know where I get it from..."
Downstairs in his study, Seamus was packing up some scripts that he was going to look over while he was in Los Angeles. He'd be coming back to London in a couple of days to resume filming but he wanted to see his son home and talk with Lewis and Margaret.
He smiled as he thought about Gabriel. In one short summer, he'd found out he had a son and had developed a fairly decent relationship with him.
And he had Samantha Boyd to thank for that.
He sat down in his desk chair and thought about the first night he'd met her.
He'd been in a rather popular restaurant in Hollywood, one where a lot of stars went to see and be seen. Seamus was there with a few of his producer friends to go over a new script.
"Vancouver would be the best place to shoot this," one of them was saying.
"That or in Alaska," Seamus replied thoughtfully. "Nightmute is a good place, especially this time of year."
"You think that would work?" his friend asked.
"Should," Seamus nodded. "But I'm open to Vancouver as well. I've always liked it there."
"We should get going," his friend said as the others nodded. "We'll ring you sometime later this week and finalise some of the details..."
"Sure," Seamus replied as someone accidentally bumped his elbow, making him spill his drink.
"Oh!" a brunette waitress said apologetically. "I'm sorry, sir..."
"It's all right," Seamus said amiably. "I'm washable."
"Behave yourself, Seamus," one of his friends called over his shoulder before following the others out.
The girl retrieved a dishtowel and set about cleaning up the mess. "I'm not usually this clumsy."
"I'm a klutz too," Seamus smiled at her. Her hair was curly and tied back and her face flushed a cute red colour.
"I never said I was a klutz," she said shooting him a look. "You're putting words in my mouth."
"Okay then," he flirted. "I'm clumsy too."
She laughed. "Can I get you anything else, sir?"
"I think I'm fine for now," he replied. "Thanks though."
"I didn't do anything except bump into you and make you knock over your drink," she said. "No reason to thank me for that...it's not like I poured hot coffee on your lap..."
"Let's not do that," Seamus looked at her name tag. "Samantha..."
"No fair," she said smiling at him. "You know my name, but I don't know yours..."
"Seamus Finnigan," he stuck his hand out.
"Samantha Boyd," she said shaking his hand. "And I think I'd better get back to my tables before my boss has my head in a sling..."
"Right," Seamus smiled at her. "Well it was nice meeting you Samantha."
"You too," she said softly. She gave him a slight wave before heading back to her other tables.
He watched her go, his eyes wandering over her slender figure housed in the skirt and shirt that was the restaurant uniform.
Although he had long since finished his meal and his friends were gone, he didn't want to leave just yet. It had been a long time since he'd felt this kind of attraction for a woman. There'd been others since Lavender, but there was something very intriguing about this Samantha Boyd.
A few minutes later, she came back carrying another tray of drinks for the table across from him.
He tried not to be obvious about watching her but couldn't help himself.
"You're staring," she said smiling at him as she walked past him.
Seamus turned red. "So you caught me," he replied.
"I might have been looking at you too," she said. "Are you sure I can't get you anything else? Cappuccino? Beer?"
"A beer would be nice, actually." Seamus replied. "Guinness if you've got it."
"Coming right up," she said. "I promise I won't drop it."
Seamus laughed and watched her as she went over to the bar. He wondered what her story was---was she working here until she landed the big role in some movie or television show? Most waitresses in Hollywood did. But, she didn't seem to know who he was. Of course, that could have been an act. And being who he was, he had learned the hard way to be a little guarded.
"So..." he said when she came back with his beer. "What are you doing in Hollywood? Are you an actress?"
Samantha laughed. "No, I'm not an actress. I have a hard enough time being myself let alone pretending to be someone else."
Seamus grinned. "You seem to be enjoying yourself here."
"What do you know I am a good actress," she said with a grin. She looked over her shoulder to where her boss was motioning for her to move on to her other tables. "I-I really should----"
"Right," Seamus nodded. "I don't want to get you in trouble..."
"At least I only have thirty more minutes in my shift," Samantha said smiling at him. "It was nice meeting you, Seamus."
"You too Samantha," Seamus reached out to shake her hand.
She shook his hand and reluctantly left to tend to her other tables. Seamus finished his beer and placed some bills on the table.
He was about to leave when he doubled back to where she was standing at the bar. "Um..." he began. "I hope I don't sound like a creep here but..."
"Yes?" she asked.
"Would you mind if I gave you a call sometime?" he asked in a rush.
"The manager here doesn't usually like it when we go out with customers," Samantha said quietly.
"Oh," Seamus nodded. "All right then, I understand."
She put a hand on his arm. "But I've never been one to follow the rules..."
Seamus grinned at her. "I had a feeling you weren't..."
"I'm off in a few minutes," she said smiling back at him. "Would you...would you want to go somewhere to get a cup of coffee so we could talk?"
"Sure," Seamus agreed eagerly. "That sounds great."
"You don't mind waiting?" Samantha asked him.
"Not at all," Seamus took a seat at the bar. "I'll be right here."
"And I'll be getting Table Four their drinks," Samantha said motioning over her shoulder.
Seamus watched her go, again letting his eyes roam over her figure. He was drawn to this woman, to her openness and friendly nature.
A few minutes later, she tapped him on the shoulder. "Take me out of here, please!" she said pleadingly.
He laughed. "There's a great coffee shop right around the corner."
"Sounds great," she said leading the way out. "So you know a little bit about me, what about you...who is Seamus Finnigan really?"
"I'm a director," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I met some producers tonight to talk about a new film I'm about to do."
"What sorts of movies do you direct?" she asked him.
"Mostly action films," he named off a few of his recent movies. "See any of those?"
"I've not much of an action film fan," she admitted. "I'm more of a comedy-drama person."
"I might have a few of those coming up after this one," Seamus said.
Samantha smiled as he opened the door to the coffee house for her. "Thanks."
"What do you want?" Seamus asked. "It's on me."
"Iced Vanilla Latte would be great," she replied.
"Coming right up," Seamus joked. "Bet you like hearing that from someone else."
Samantha laughed. "It's a refreshing change of pace. I'll go and grab us a table."
"Sounds good," Seamus got in line.
She found a table toward the back and wondered what she was doing. Although she didn't usually follow the rules, she was usually level-headed and didn't go out with men she'd just met. And this wasn't just any man. He was some big-time director. What could he possibly see in her? She was just a waitress, after all.
"One Iced Vanilla Latte," Seamus set the cup down in front of her.
"Thanks," Samantha said smiling at him. "What did you get?"
"Just plain black coffee," Seamus replied. "I'm really not into those fancy drinks I'm afraid."
"A traditionalist," Samantha said after taking a sip of her drink. "My dad would love you. He fusses all the time about how you can't order regular coffee anywhere anymore...."
"I always keep a fresh pot on my set," Seamus replied. "Although most of my actresses these days live for cappuccinos."
"You should probably be drinking a cappuccino with one of them right now," Samantha said. "I'm sure they'd be a lot more stimulating than me."
"You'd be surprised at how empty headed some of them can be," Seamus replied.
Samantha laughed. "I've waited on some of them before..."
"I enjoy a woman who actually has opinions on things and isn't afraid to say them. Most actresses are afraid to say what they really think in case they hurt their chances for a role." Seamus sat back.
"Yet another reason why I'd never make it as an actress," Samantha said thoughtfully. "I'm too opinionated for my own good. My dad says I need some sort of filter..."
"I like you like this," Seamus said boldly.
"You say that now," Samantha said blushing.
"I haven't met a person like you in a long time," Seamus said. "A lot of things here in Hollywood are so superficial."
"Kind of hard to find something real," Samantha agreed.
"Which is why I pursue it when I see it," Seamus said, gazing at her intently.
Samantha met his gaze. "And that's what you're doing with me?"
"If that's all right with you," Seamus said.
"That's okay with me," she said softly.
"I'm glad," Seamus replied with a relieved grin.
"Hard to believe you're not already spoken for," Samantha said. "Most men I meet are already married, gay, or complete idiots."
"Yeah well..." Seamus shrugged. "I've had my share of relationships."
"Starlets?" Samantha asked.
"Sometimes," Seamus nodded. "I had one relationship..." he paused, not sure if he wanted to talk about Lavender or not.
When he didn't elaborate, Samantha took another sip of her coffee. This was just great, she thought glumly. He was probably still hung up on this woman.
"It ended badly," Seamus said. "Let's just leave it at that."
"You're not over her," Samantha guessed.
"No, I am." Seamus said. "It's just that I wish things could have ended differently. But I don't think you really want to hear about it all."
Samantha shook her head. "Not really..."
"There are many better things to talk about," Seamus agreed.
"Such as?" Samantha asked.
"You," Seamus said softly.
"Me? Well, um, what do you want to know?' she asked.
"What else do you do aside from waitressing?" he asked.
Samantha leaned back in her chair. "I'm not putting myself through college, that's for sure. I would have loved to have gone, but I'm not one who likes to sit still, you know?"
"I was the same way," Seamus said. "I took some classes, but I had to get out there and actually do it rather than study."
Samantha smiled. "Someday, I'd like to open up my own restaurant or a coffee house like this."
"You'd probably do a great job at that," Seamus said encouragingly.
"Maybe I could cook for you sometime," Samantha offered.
"All this and you can cook too?" Seamus teased.
Samantha blushed and touched his arm. "I've been cooking practically since I could walk. I used to follow my mom around the kitchen, begging her to let me help."
"I'd like to take you up on that offer then," Seamus smiled.
Samantha grinned back at him. "What would you like?"
"Surprise me," Seamus answered.
Samantha bit her bottom lip and reminded herself to be sensible. But she hadn't felt this way about someone before. He had a nice, warm smile and he had eyes that she could lose herself in. "Um, well....how...what do you like for breakfast?" she asked trying to sound bold.
He grinned at her. "Pancakes," he answered immediately.
Samantha smiled shyly at him. "Well, would you like to---?"
Her words were cut off when he leaned across the table and kissed her.
He was unable to stop himself from doing this when she looked so sweet and appealing. After a moment he felt her get over her shock and kiss him back.
"Stars," she said dazedly when they pulled apart.
"What?" he asked, brushing a lock of her hair back.
"I think I just saw stars," Samantha replied. "When you kissed me..."
"Oh," he laughed. "I saw them too..."
"Yeah right," she said giggling. "I'm sure you did."
"Maybe I'm not sure," Seamus grinned. "I might need to try that again."
"Just to be sure," Samantha said leaning in.
They kissed again for several moments. "Oh yeah..." he said. "Definitely stars."
Samantha smiled. "Definitely."
Seamus finished packing and sat down on the desk. He wished that they weren't already heading back to the States. He'd grown too accustomed to having Gabriel around every day.
Gabriel knocked on the doorframe. "Dad?"
"Hey," Seamus smiled at him.
"What are you doing in here?" Gabriel asked. "You look a little lost in thought…"
"I was just finishing packing up all this stuff," Seamus said.
Gabriel nodded and stepped into the room. "I have something for you."
"You do?" Seamus couldn't help but be pleased.
Gabriel handed his father a gift-wrapped box. "What do you get for the guy who has everything, right? But, I cleared it with Lavender and she thought it would be really nice..."
Seamus opened the box to reveal a silver photo frame containing a photo of Samantha holding a newborn Gabriel in her arms.
"Wow," Seamus swallowed hard. "Gabe..."
"Do you like it?" Gabriel asked.
"Yeah," Seamus nodded. "I love it Gabe. This is incredible."
"That was her favourite photograph," Gabriel said smiling at his father.
"I'm going to put this on my desk where I can see it every day," Seamus couldn't stop looking at it.
"I asked Lavender before I gave it to you because I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable or awkward," Gabriel said. "But she was really great about it and even helped me pick out a frame."
"Thank you Gabriel," Seamus said. "And thanks for thinking of Lavender during all this. She loves you as much as I do, you know."
Gabriel nodded. "You've both been so great. I don't even know how to thank you..."
"You don't have to," Seamus hugged him.
Gabriel hugged his father back. "I love you, Dad."
"Love you too, son." Seamus replied. "I'm really going to miss having you around. I've gotten kind of used to you."
"Once I lost the attitude?" Gabriel asked teasingly.
"Even then," Seamus joked. "You're going to have to keep me filled in on how school is going when we're back."
"I will," Gabriel promised. "And you and Lavender are coming for Thanksgiving. Remember?"
"I haven't had a Thanksgiving since I was with your mum," Seamus said. "I remember your grandmother's turkey..."
"Granddad was okay with you then?" Gabriel asked.
"For the most part," Seamus nodded.
"Grandma will make sure he's on his best behaviour," Gabriel said.
"I can take him," Seamus puffed his chest out, making Gabriel laugh.
"I'll make sure to tell him you said that," Gabriel said.
"Right," Seamus replied. "Didn't you say Saffron and Andrew were coming over to say goodbye?"
"They mentioned they might stop by, but I'm not counting on it," Gabriel said. "And we're leaving soon anyway."
"I think they'll come," Seamus said. "You and Saffron really got on this holiday."
"We did," Gabriel said. "She's been a good friend."
There was a sudden commotion from the sitting room. "Speak of the devil," Seamus said. "I think that's them now."
Gabriel smiled. "I'll go and see."
Saffron was dusting herself off as he came in. "Hi Gabe," she grinned at him.
"I didn't think you guys would make it," Gabriel said giving his cousin a hug.
"Couldn't let you go back without saying goodbye," Saffron replied. "I'm not going to see you for awhile."
"A long while," Gabriel agreed. He looked at Andrew who hadn't said anything. "Hey, Andrew."
"Hi mate," Andrew stuck his hand out.
Gabriel shook it. "I'm sorry about everything that happened this summer. I really am."
"It's all okay," Andrew said. "In the past. I enjoyed meeting you."
"Me too," Gabriel agreed. "You all were really great to welcome me like you did."
"It's been great having you here," Saffron chimed in. "I'm really going to miss you Gabe."
Gabriel handed her a slip of paper. "This is my address at home. And Lavender said she'd send any letters from you to me."
"I promise to write," Saffron tucked the slip inside her bag. "And you better promise to write me back!"
"I will," Gabriel said. "And there's something else...I was wondering if perhaps you'd give this to Alexa..." He picked up an envelope from the coffee table. "Since I didn't have the chance to say goodbye..."
"She told me to tell you goodbye for her," Saffron accepted the envelope. "But I
I'll give this to her when I see her next."
"Thanks," Gabriel said. He looked over at Andrew. "It's no declaration of love or anything like that. I just wanted to tell her goodbye."
"It's none of my business," Andrew replied with a shrug.
Gabriel nodded. "I never meant to cause any trouble."
Saffron hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Everyone knows that. It's water under the bridge."
"All right," Gabriel chuckled. "I'm going to miss you too, believe it or not."
"I'd believe it," Andrew said with a grin. "But no one will miss her as much as I will."
Saffron grinned at Andrew. "He's probably anxious to get rid of me."
"Yeah right," Gabriel replied.
Andrew put an arm around Saffron. "She's got to go back and start her campaign for Head Girl."
"And Quidditch Captain," Saffron added. "I want it all."
"Next stop the world?" Gabriel asked.
"Maybe I'll be the next Minister," Saffron pretended to think.
"Too bad you're not an American," Gabriel said thoughtfully. "You could be our next President."
"I'd whip your country into shape," Saffron bragged, making Andrew laugh.
"You are too much," Gabriel said shaking his head.
Lavender and Seamus came into the room. "Hi, Saffron," Seamus said. "Andrew."
"Hi Uncle Seamus," Saffron bounded over to hug him. "I'm going to miss you both a lot."
"We'll miss you too, sweetheart," Seamus said. "And I wanted to thank you for being so nice to Gabe this holiday."
"He made it pretty easy," Saffron giggled.
Lavender gave Saffron a hug and peck on the cheek. "I'm afraid we have to get going."
"Maybe we'll see you around Christmas," Gabriel told his cousin.
"We'd better," Saffron said smiling at him.
"Have a good year at school Saffron," Lavender said to her niece. "Keep us posted on everything going on."
"Her quest for the reign of terror, you mean," Andrew snickered.
Saffron elbowed him hard in the ribs.
"Come on, Saffy," Andrew said rubbing his side. "We'd better go."
"Right," Saffron said.
"Bye cousin," Gabriel said to Saffron. "And thank you for everything."
"Very welcome," Saffron grinned at him. "You behave now. Danielle told me about when you walked her home after the wedding."
Gabriel's eyes grew large. "I didn't do anything but walk her back, Saf."
"You mean there was no goodnight kiss?" Saffron asked. "I had a feeling she was exaggerating. Oh well."
"She's certainly not shy," Gabriel said remembering how the Weasley girl had came onto him.
"That's Danielle for you," Saffron said.
"Have a safe trip," Andrew said to the Finnigans.
"Thank you Andrew," Lavender said. "It was lovely meeting you."
"Bye, guys," Saffron said as she grabbed some Floo powder.
After Saffron and Andrew left, Gabriel took one last look around the place that had been his home all summer long.
"It went by entirely too fast," Lavender said echoing her stepson's thoughts.
"I can't wait to see my grandparents again," Gabriel said.
"And you'll be back in time for the footbase season," Lavender said.
"Footbase?" Gabriel asked with a laugh. "Baseball, Lavender. And I'm sure I can see a couple of games."
"Baseball, Footbase, whatever." she waved her hand. "Shopping is much more important."
"Don't even try teaching her anything," Seamus said. "I gave that up years ago..."
Gabriel laughed. "I'll take your word for it."
"Come on then," Lavender said using her wand to shrink down their luggage. "Our portkey activates any second now."
"How do I do this again?" Gabriel asked.
Seamus held up one of Lavender's magazines. "Just put your hand on this."
"Okay," Gabriel touched it tentatively.
"And hang on," Lavender said putting a hand on the magazine as well. "It's much better this way and no jet lag."
Gabriel nodded, feeling a bit nervous. He hadn't liked travelling much this way before and wasn't looking forward to it now.
Lavender closed her eyes as the portkey activated and she felt that familiar tug behind her navel.
Within moments they were back in their LA flat. "That's crazy but it's quick," Seamus said.
Gabriel tried to get his bearings. Even though it was quick, it wasn't something he relished experiencing anytime soon. "So I guess this is it..."
"I'll call a car to take you home," Lavender offered.
"That'd be nice," Gabriel said watching as his father returned the luggage to its normal size.
"You'll let me know if you need anything right?" Seamus asked him anxiously. "And you know you're always welcome around here. I made a key for you to get in whenever you feel like coming over."
"I'm going to be really busy with school, but I'll try," Gabriel promised.
"Just keep in touch," Seamus replied. "Now that we've gotten to know one another--"
"I know that you're going to be busy too, Dad," Gabriel said interrupting his father.
"Well of course- in fact I go back to England in a few days but I just... I'll miss you Gabe." Seamus said.
Gabriel smiled at his father. For seventeen years, he didn't know anything about his dad. There was still a part of him that was angry at his mother for denying him the chance to grow up with a father, but she had her reasons and there was nothing he could do to change that. And he couldn't help wondering what life would have been like had his parents stayed together.
"I'll miss you too," Gabriel said.
"The car will be here in ten minutes," Lavender came back in. "I've got to get down to my shop so I'll say goodbye to you now Gabe."
"Oh," Gabriel said turning to give her a hug. "Thanks for everything this summer, Lavender. I know it didn't start out all that well..."
"Nonsense," Lavender said. "You're a bright, smart young man and I expect to see you doing well at your school very soon."
Gabriel laughed. "I will certainly do my best."
"Call us once in awhile." Lavender told him, kissing his cheek. "And say hello to your grandparents for us."
"I will," Gabriel said sitting down on the sofa as his stepmother gave Seamus a kiss goodbye and a promise to bring home something good for dinner.
Seamus looked at his son once they were alone. "Now that you're back in California, be careful of the paparazzi. If any of them give you a really difficult time tell me."
"I can take care of it, Dad," Gabriel said. "It's not as if you can do anything about it anyway."
"I know but I have some pull around here and sometimes those blokes can be scary and they'll do anything to get a photo. So I just want you to be careful," Seamus warned.
Gabriel nodded. "I'll keep my guard up."
The buzzer sounded at that moment from the doorman downstairs, announcing that Gabriel's taxi had arrived. "I'll help you take your bags down," Seamus offered.
"You don't have to," Gabriel said. "It's just the two and I know you have a lot to catch up on. I'll be okay."
"I want to," Seamus insisted.
Gabriel laughed. "You're as bad as Mom was. I remember my first day of school, she wanted to walk me in, but I wanted to do it by myself..."
Seamus smiled. "That sounds like her."
Gabriel picked up one of his bags while his father got the other one.
They rode down the lift in relative silence and it wasn't until they had put the bags in the boot that it hit Gabriel exactly how much his father had grown to mean to him that summer.
Seamus handed the driver a twenty dollar bill and then turned to say goodbye to his son. "You all ready to go?'
"Yeah," Gabriel thrust his hands in his pockets.
"I can't tell you what having you with me meant to me," Seamus said the emotions of the day finally catching up to him. "This isn't the end, Gabe."
"I know," Gabriel said. "I'm really glad we got to know each other Dad. You've been a really great father since we met this summer."
Seamus smiled. "It's all new to me."
"Having a father is new to me," Gabriel said. "I mean, Grandpa's been great of course, but..."
"It's not the same," Seamus said nodding. "Well, you've got a dad now. And I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks," Gabriel grinned at him. "I'll give you a call tomorrow."
Seamus gave his son one last hug. "Give Margaret and Lewis my best, okay?"
"I will," Gabriel nodded. "You and Lav come over some night and I'll make us all dinner."
"We will," Seamus said watching as his son got into the car. He gave a slight wave as the driver took off.
Seamus stood out on the sidewalk for the longest time. Finally, he looked up and smiled. "Thank you, Sam."